


The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince

by MagicBiscuit



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beast Marianne von Edmund, Blood, F/M, Mild Gore, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25876555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicBiscuit/pseuds/MagicBiscuit
Summary: After Marianne accidentally injures Dimitri she wants nothing more than to set things rightAU based on the game The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince

It was a gentle, quiet evening. The full moon was high up in the sky accompanied by the many glittering stars.

Beneath this bejewelled sky was a prince, sneaking through the castle's courtyard. This was far from the first time this prince had sneaked around like this and it would not be the last. With careful steps he closed in on the far side of the wall surrounding the castle. He knew that a hole just big enough for him to squeeze through was well hidden among the castle's greenery. He was lucky no one had taken notice yet.

"Leaving again tonight, Your Highness?"

The prince brought a hand to his chest from the small fright he got and he sighed.

"You surprised me, Dedue."

Dedue, the Prince's most loyal retainer, said nothing as he regarded his liege. Instead his green eyes landed on the hole in the wall.

"I worry about these excursions." he said with an even tone. "Must you go every night?"

The Prince smiled softly. It was the only answer Dedue needed. With a solemn nod he turned around and headed back to the castle. Without his help the Prince wouldn't be able to sneak out like he did.

He picked up his pace as he slipped through the hole. His blue eyes wandered upwards, the moon still clear and visible. He still had time.

Going neither to fast nor to slow the Prince headed towards the forest surrounding the kingdom. It was known to be incredibly dangerous, especially at night, yet the Prince pressed on. He had combat experience. He was confident that he could fend off a monster or two.

When the Prince saw a large cliff in the murky distance he picked up his pace. A sigh of relief left his lips as a familiar song filled the still air. Tonight was going to be special. He knew it.

The melody carried on as the Prince starting climbing up the side of the cliff. He heard this song so many times, but he never had gotten to see the songstress herself. Night after night he'd come just to hear her lovely voice. He wanted to meet her, speak with her.

Who was she?

Why was she out here in the thick, dark forest singing by herself?

The Prince so dearly wanted to know.

Just as he was about to reach the top of the cliff, however, something he could never had predicted happened.

It had come so fast the Prince couldn't even register it at first. Something struck at his eyes, tore into them with such ferocity it stripped his voice of all sound. He could feel the blood on his face, but his world had gone pitch-black.

As the Prince dangled at what he believed was the cliff’s edge he could feel something hold onto his hand. Whatever it was it wasn't human. Coarse fur rubbed against his skin. Cold claws had twisted themselves around his hand, prickling them slightly.

A hoarse scream escaped the Prince's mouth as the realisation dawned upon him. Whatever had struck his eyes was probably still hanging onto him. He twisted and turned in the beast's grip.

He must have been high up for when the feeling of fur jolted away he could feel himself fall. He let out another scream as he plummeted downwards. He landed heavily on what he believed to be a bush. Then it was all over.

He tried to move, but the damage done to his eyes made it hard to do so. He could feel the blood dripping off his face, but not much else.

"Your Highness!"

The Prince tried to lift his head towards the voice, but found himself unable to.

"Prince Dimitri!"

Now that the voice was closer he could place it as Dedue's. Suddenly he could feel his vassal’s presence right next to him.

Dedue put his arms around his liege carefully as he breathed heavily.

"I came running when I heard your scream, I…,” He sounded so horrified. “By the gods, what happened?"

The Prince was unable to answer has his consciousness began to fade. The last thing he remembered was the sound of an arrow flying through the air.

Marianne liked singing.

She wasn't like the other man eating wolves. She'd abstained from eating meat a long, long time ago. She couldn't bear the horror of it. Especially not when there were other options available to her. That, however, made her an outcast among her own.

So at night she would go to her favourite cliff and sing her lonely melody towards to moon. She did this each and every night without fail. She liked to believe that the goddess could hear her song.

Then one day, as she finished her song, she heard applause.

She'd almost run away with fright the first time it happened. When she'd peeked over the side of the cliff to investigate she could feel her heart race.

It was a human.

She stared in shock as a human sat on a big stump and clapped. Had she been anyone else the human probably would have gotten eaten on the spot.

She was quick to flee the moment the human started to move.

Ever since that night she would always hear applause after she'd done singing. Eventually she began looking forward to hear it. She'd come to think of her little spectator as a friend. No one had ever applauded her before.

Then, on one night that should have been like all the others, she didn't hear the familiar clapping of human hands.

At first she'd been confused. Slowly she'd peeked over the edge of the cliff to see if the human was still there.

That was when she saw the human climbing up the cliff and her heart started to pound into her chest.

He couldn't see her like this! He would never accept her as she was! She was an ugly _beast!_

Just as he got to the top Marianne began to panic. He just couldn't see her like this. He just couldn't!

That's where it all went wrong.

All she wanted to do was to cover his eyes. It was such a cruel reminder of human fragility. As she reached out her paw she had accidently struck his eyes. She could feel her claws sinking into them and retracted them with horror, but it was too late.

Her claws were covered in his blood, but right then she had more important matters to worry about.

Due to the sudden attack the human lost had his balance and without thinking she grabbed onto his hand with her bloodied paws.

He let out a scream and she recoiled in surprise. She watched in horror as he fell towards the hard ground below, but a small sigh of relief escaped her as he landed on a large bush.

It wasn't long till a larger man; a guard of some kind would be Marianne's guess, showed up. He cradled the human in his arms and even from on top of her cliff Marianne could see her friend's consciousness slipping.

"Prince Dimitri!" The scared tone of the man’s voice sent a chill down her spine, but his words caught her attention.

The human was a prince?

The large man grunted as he quickly yet gently readjusted his grip on the Prince.

Then their eyes met.

At first Marianne wasn't sure that he was really looking at her, but then he took out his bow and the first of a myriad of arrows fired at her.

She was quick to escape.

The following nights she spent pacing about with worry as close to the forests edge as she could. If her friend truly was a prince then surely some humans must know how he was doing.

On the seventh night she would become lucky.

As she skulked about in the shadows she saw two guards talking to one another in hushed voices.

"Is it really true?" One of them asked the other as Marianne tried to get as close as she could.

The other guard sighed heavily. "The Prince's vassal is still fighting over it, but yes." they said. Their eyes wandered towards a tall yet crocked tower. Marianne's eyes followed suit. "The Prince has been locked up in there. He's gone blind."

All of Marianne's fur stood on end as the words sank in. It was awful and it was all her fault.

Leaving the two guards behind she made her way towards the tower they had spoken of. She needed to see the Prince for herself.

The tower wasn't well guarded. It seemed more like of a prison than a place to house a prince, but she carried on. The worn out stone staircase was almost too small for her, but she managed to make her way up.

Marianne's heart went cold when she finally got to lay her eyes on the Prince. He was wearing such a pale nightgown, but nothing else. She shuddered as she saw his tiny and bare human feet recoil because of the cold. His eyes were covered with thick bandages as if to hide something sinful. The room he was in had nothing save a bed and a tiny window. The door was covered in thick iron bars.

Repressing the urge to cry at the unfairness of it all she approached the door. The Prince's head shot up as he looked right at her. She tried to spoke, but she struggled with what to say, resulting in a lot of "um"s and "em"s.

Despite all that, though, the Prince's face lit up in recognition. Carefully he stood up and wobbled with uneasy steps towards the door.

"You're the songstress in the woods, aren't you?" he said. Could he truly not see her? Gathering courage she spoke. "Yes, I am." She said, "I heard that something terrible had happened so I came to check on you."

The Prince smiled softly as he touched the thick bandages. "That's very kind of you," he said, "but who are you? How did the word of this reach you?"

Marianne's heart began to race as she realised she needed to come up with something that seemed at least somewhat believable.

"Ah," She exclaimed as she racked her brain for any ideas, "I'm a princess from a nearby kingdom!" she lied.

The Prince for his part seemed to accept that answer as his expression became more understanding. "It's kind of you to visit me, Princess," he said. He paused briefly as he touched the bandages with the tip of his fingers.

"Despite me having become like this."

His words hit her hard. So it was true then. That's why his eyes were covered like that. Her own eyes wandered downwards towards her paws. They were no longer red with blood, but they still felt filthy.

Marianne looked back up at the Prince as his hand dropped. He looked so sad and so alone.

"Why are you locked up in here, Prince?" she asked softly. It seemed so odd to her. Blind he may have become, but he was still royalty, no?

A ghost of a smile flickered on the Prince's face.

"I've brought shame to the royal family," he said so very softly. Marianne almost couldn't hear it.

"They have decided that I am to live here for the rest of my days."

Marianne swallowed hard. The Prince's life was ruined and it was all her fault. She wanted to cry. She wanted to run away. Yet she did neither of those things. Instead a thought started stirring. A memory of a rumour she'd heard so long ago.

Maybe _she_ could fix things?

"Prince."

Marianne's voice was determined now. The change in tone caught the Prince's attention as well.

"I might know a way to fix your eyes," she said, "but it'll take a journey to the depths of the forest."

At the mention of the forest the Prince stiffened slightly. His hand wandered towards his face again, but it stopped half way as he clenched his fists.

"But I can't see," he said flatly, "and with all the monsters there...I..," His words trailed off. He sounded so ashamed of himself.

Marianne was about to say that she'd take him, but stopped herself. She was a beast. He would no doubt realise that when he touched her paws, the very same paws that had ripped his eyes out. She had to find a way to lead him through the forest safely.

"Please wait for me," Marianne said, "I have an idea, but I need to do something first."

The Prince looked confused. Eventually he just nodded. She felt so sorry for him. So much had changed for him in such a short amount of time.

She bid him farewell with a promise to return as she quickly ran from the tower and head straight into the dark woods. Her mind raced as she ran.

Marianne had heard tales of a witch who could do anything with her magic. Surely she could fix the Prince's eyes if she brought him before her! The trouble was that in and of itself. Marianne had an idea brewing, but there was a part of it that worried her.

She didn't have time to contemplate it any further when she arrived at the Witch's hut. It was surrounded by glowing orbs in all kinds of different colours and sizes. Marianne growled to herself.

The Witch stood in the very centre of the surprisingly tiny hut as Marianne entered. Once her icy blue eyes landed on her a twisted smile made its way the Witch's face.

"Oh my!" She said as Marianne entered the room properly, "A man eating wolf! That is not a guest I see often, come in, come in!"

Her words may have been friendly, but Marianne's fur still stood on end.

The Witch circled her once before sitting down. "Whatever could I do for one such as you?" she asked. Marianne took a deep breath. She wasn't certain this was the best idea, but it was also the only idea. Reluctantly she told the Witch what had happened with the Prince.

The Witch smiled in amusement as she tapped her chin. "So now you need a form that could help you bring you precious little prince to me." She finished Marianne's story. All Marianne could do was nod.

The Witch got up and walked to the back of her hut that was lined with endless vials and potions. As she looked through them Marianne spoke up.

"I would like to be a human!" She said. If she was like him then she could lead him by the hand through the forest without causing him any pain.

The Witch didn't seem even remotely surprised at the request. She chuckled as she picked up some of the items off the shelf and headed toward a great cauldron. It giggled as she threw some of the magic items in it.

"That is most certainly doable," The Witch said coyly. Suddenly the glowing orbs from before starting surrounding the Witch. Marianne knew exactly what they meant.

The payment.

Anyone who made a request of the Witch had to give up the most important thing to them in return. Those things then transformed into those glowing orbs. Marianne watched as the Witch took one of them into her hand and sighed lovingly.

"Aren't they just wonderful?" she said. She didn't seem offended when Marianne didn't reply.

"I can make you a human," The Witch said, "I'll even let you choose what kind of human you want to become." The Witch's smile grew more wicked.

"In turn you give me your singing voice."

Marianne shuddered. If she gave her singing voice to the Witch she could never sing again. No more cliff nights. No more applause from the Prince. Then she remembered that tall ugly tower the Prince was locked up in, cold and alone.

It wasn't really much of a choice.

"I would like to become a princess!" Marianne said. The orbs in the room began to glow stronger as the Witch focused on the cauldron.

"Well, isn't that just darling!" The Witch said, "A princess it is!"

"And since I'm in such a good mood I'll let you change between your two forms at will as a little extra. You cannot bring your little prince here if you cannot protect him."

Marianne could feel her singing voice leave a cold trail up her throat as it left her body. She watched it gather into a ball and become a bright blue orb.

The payment was accepted.

Marianne quivered with cold she looked down on her paws with disappointment. She was still the same. The Witch was quick to notice and spoke up.

"Give it a night," she said, "a spell like that needs time to take proper effect."

Marianne nodded her understanding. She was no place to argue with the Witch, especially since she wanted to bring the Prince later.

She softly thanked the Witch for her help, but just as she was about to leave, however, the Witch called out again.

"Be careful of the moonlight by the way," She said. Both their eyes wandered up towards the sky. The sun was really beginning to rise now.

"If it hits you will automatically transform back into a beast."

Marianne swallowed hard. There was no way the Prince would go with her if he knew the truth, regardless of if it was an accident or not.

"Thank you for the warning," Marianne said, "I will try my best."

With that she headed back into the forest in order to wait.

The Witch was right, of course. It really did only take one night.

With somewhat uneven steps Marianne walked up the crooked stairway with her new human legs. She couldn't wait to speak with the Prince again.

He was in the same place as last time. To her surprise, though, the Prince was now wearing a pair of sturdy looking shoes and there was a thick cape draped around his shoulders. He still looked lonely, but at least he had some protection from the elements. Marianne spoke up.

"Prince, I've returned!" She said. The Prince's head immediately shot up.

"Princess!" His voice had more life in it than last time. "Did you get what you need?"

Marianne smiled, but was quick to drop it when she remembered that it made no difference to the Prince. "I did," She said, "Please stand clear of the door."

He obeyed and Marianne wasted no time. Her transformation back into a wolf was a quick one. With the strength she had as a beast she made short work of the iron bars keeping the Prince at bay. The Prince jumped at the sound of metal getting sliced and eventually tumbling back down onto the stone cold floor. She quickly transformed back to her human form.

She carefully stepped around the broken remains of the door.

"I-I can take you there now!" Marianne said as she approached the Prince. "If you'll let me I'll take you to see the Witch of the forest!"

The Prince for his part didn't look as shocked as she would have expected. Instead he looked grateful. "That's so kind of you," he said, "but how will we get there when I’m like this?"

Oh.

Marianne wringed her hands as she looked down on her feet. She had planned to lead him by the hand, but could she really ask that of him?

The Prince spoke before she could.

"Maybe this will work." He said, causing Marianne to look back up again.

The Prince was holding out his own hand.

It was obvious that he had the same idea as she had. She could lead him through the forest. She knew it so well after all.

As gently as she could she took a hold of the Prince's outstretched hand. Despite the new layers of clothing it was still cold to the touch.

"Dedue, that’s my vassal, knows what we’re doing," The Prince said, "but nobody else does, we should hurry."

Marianne nodded as she tightened her hold on the Prince's hand. That would be for the best.

It was in hurried silence that the pair made their way the edge of the forest. Marianne stopped when she felt the Prince tensed up. Before she could ask about it he spoke.

"I've been meaning to ask Princess, but what's your name?"

Marianne blinked at the Prince a couple of times before looking away. His head was turned in her general direction and even though she knew he couldn't see it still felt like his unseeing eyes drilled holes into her skull.

"It's Marianne." She said quietly. The tension from the Prince eased up. Now that she thought about it more it made sense. As far as he was concerned they were two humans about to go into a deadly forest in the middle of the night when the beasts were at their strongest.

You wouldn't think that was bothering the Prince, however, as his tone was light.

"It's nice to meet you, Marianne." He said. "You can call me Dimitri."

Her smile faltered a bit as she looked back up at the dark trees standing so close together she wondered how she ever made her way through it before. They were both so tiny compared to it.

She looked over at Dimitri again. He was patiently waiting for her to make her move. He trusted her.

With guilt in her heart she tugged at his hand urging him forward.

The blind Prince trusted her.

He trusted Marianne, the lying Princess.


End file.
